2018 Woolgoolga High School Annual Report · 2019-05-04 · Introduction The Annual Report for 2018...

Woolgoolga High SchoolAnnual Report

2018

8548

Printed on: 5 May, 2019 of 18 Woolgoolga High School 8548 (2018)

Introduction

The Annual Report for 2018 is provided to the community of Woolgoolga High School as an account of the school'soperations and achievements throughout the year.

It provides a detailed account of the progress the school has made to provide high quality educational opportunities forall students, as set out in the school plan. It outlines the findings from self–assessment that reflect the impact of keyschool strategies for improved learning and the benefit to all students from the expenditure of resources, including equityfunding.

Guy Wright

Principal

School contact details

Woolgoolga High SchoolCentenary DriveWoolgoolga, 2456www.woolgoolga-h.schools.nsw.edu.auwoolgoolga-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au6654 1500


School background

School vision statement

Creating lifelong learners who will become confident, creative and successful individuals.

School context

Woolgoolga High School is located on the North Coast of NSW and caters for 851 students. The school is an activemember of the Northern Beaches Community of Schools (NBCoS) and is committed to ongoing and continuousimprovement. The school caters for a diverse range of students where each student is treated with respect and as anindividual. Woolgoolga High School has a student population that includes 12% Aboriginal students, and also draws froma substantial Sikh community where many students speak Punjabi in the home. The school caters for an increasingnumber of refugee families.

The school is targeting academic achievement and using technology as a tool to enhance learning and administration.Our outstanding HSC results and our significant improvement in growth data for NAPLAN and VALID (Science) in 2018highlights the quality learning that occurs daily at Woolgoolga High School. While academic achievement is thefoundation stone for the school, students enjoy a dynamic and rich educational environment that fosters the love oflearning and enjoyment of the school experience. The Peer Tutor Reading Program, the student led SMILE (Support,Mentor, Inspire and Encourage) program and the many innovative wellbeing programs ensure students grow into wellrounded and successful young adults.

Self-assessment and school achievement

Self-assessment using the School Excellence Framework

This section of the Annual Report outlines the findings from self–assessment using the School Excellence Framework,school achievements and the next steps to be pursued. This year, our school undertook self–assessment using theSchool Excellence Framework. The framework supports public schools throughout NSW in the pursuit of excellence byproviding a clear description of high quality practice across the three domains of Learning, Teaching and Leading.

In the Learning domain, our school continues to excel in Learning Culture and Wellbeing and is Sustaining and Growingin the areas of Curriculum, Assessment, Reporting and Student Performance Measures. Our Learning Culturedemonstrates the whole school community has aspirational expectations of learning progress and achievement for allstudents, and is committed to the pursuit of excellence. Effective partnerships in learning with parents and studentsmean students are motivated to deliver their best and continually improve. Students have regular opportunities to meetwith an identified staff member who can provide advice, support and assistance. The school has also implementedevidence based change to whole school practices, resulting in measureable improvements in wellbeing and engagementto support learning.

In the Teaching domain our school is Excelling in Professional Standards and Learning and Development. In the areas ofEffective Classroom Practice and Data Skills the school is Sustaining and Growing. The school has a high performingteaching staff as measured against the Australian Professional Standards, whose capacities are continually built toensure every student experiences high quality teaching. The leadership team has participated in capacity developmentprograms and implements principles of evaluative thinking, continually monitors the impact of programs and approachesused by all teachers, and improves practice as required. The school uses embedded and explicit systems that facilitateprofessional dialogue, collaboration, classroom observation, the modelling of effective practice and the provision ofspecific and timely feedback between teachers. This drives ongoing, school–wide improvement in teaching practice andstudent results. Teaching staff demonstrate and share their expertise within their school and with other schools. Allteachers have expert contemporary content knowledge and deploy effective teaching strategies. Innovative practices andprocesses are in place to evaluate, refine and scale success.

In the Leadership domain, our school is Sustaining and Growing in Educational Leadership and Excelling in SchoolPlanning, Implementation and Reporting, School Resources and Management Practices and Processes. The school isrecognised as a leader for its impact on learning progress, its effective practices and continuous improvement, and itsactive support of other schools. The leadership team uses data to evaluate the effectiveness of management processes,and creates a culture of shared accountability to achieve organisational best practice. Technology that supports learningis available and expertly integrated into lessons by teachers. Administrative staff are expert users of available technologyand systems.

For more information about the School Excellence Framework:https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching–and–learning/school–excellence–and–accountability/sef–evidence–guide


Strategic Direction 1

Students as Lifelong Learners

Purpose

Create Lifelong Learners who are literate, numerate and engage with 21st Century learning. Our students are part of asmall community and it is imperative that they are exposed to the wider world and the demands that will be placed uponthem as they become successful individuals. To prepare our students sufficiently must involve giving them the skills tocontinue to grow and appreciate the necessity for learning and developing the 21st Century skills that include: Creativity,Curiosity, Communication, Critical thinking, Citizenship, Collaboration and Character.

As part of this strategic direction our identified focus areas are the Academic Learning Centre and a Numeracy Initiative.

Overall summary of progress

Academic Achievement Centre

The Numeracy Program initiated in 2018 targeted higher level and mid range students. The target was to move thesestudents into higher bands of achievement and to encourage subject selection in the senior school for more students athigher levels for Mathematics. This resulted in outstanding increases in student numbers undertaking MathematicsAdvanced.

Similarly outstanding results were achieved in the VALID Science testing of Year 10 students.

The influence of the Academic Achievement Centre (AAC), quality teaching and the subsequent improved learningculture across the school has led to the 2018 outstanding HSC results. In 2018 students achieved at or above Stateaverages in all subjects. Many subjects had students achieve well above state average. Of special note 100% ofstudents who studied English Extension 1, Information Processes and Technology and Textiles and Design achievedabove state average.

Progress towards achieving improvement measures

Improvement measures(to be achieved over 3 years)

Funds Expended(Resources)

Progress achieved this year

Retaining and growing the highnumbers of students from allyears attending the AAC.

Staff from all faculties supportingthe AAC.

Student growth in learningevaluated against other nonattendee students.

$30,000

A senior teacher is releasedfrom sport each Wednesdayto work with HSC students.

Refreshments for AACThursday afternoons.

$80,000 TechnologySupport Officer (TSO) toensure effective use oftechnology throughout theschool.

Continued focus occurred on the AAC where thecreation of Academic Learning Teams weredeveloped. There has been an ongoing emphasison Future Focus Learning and providing essentialresources desired by staff and students.

Over 80 students on average regularly attended theAAC supported by at least 15 teachers providingspecialised knowledge from all Key Learning Areas.

85% of Year 10 students demonstrated aboveexpected growth in VALID (a Science based statetest) confirming that quality teaching is occurring inthe Science KLA. By fostering an environment thatpromotes team learning by quality teachers,students are well equipped for the senior school.

Improved student results from preand post Numeracy/Mathematics/ Literacyinterventions.

20% of Year 9 students in the toptwo bands in NAPLAN Numeracy.

$104,000

Mathematics teacher tosupport numeracy andmathematics strategy.

A teacher was allocated to extend the higherachieving and mid–range students and to introduceinnovative teaching practices.

Through the Numeracy program, implemented bythe Mathematics faculty, there has been asignificant increase in students taking higher levelMathematics courses. The 2018 Year 10 cohort hasseen an increase in students choosing to takeMathematics Advanced in 2019 by 355% whencompared to the number of Year 12 students






Improved student results from preand post Numeracy/Mathematics/ Literacyinterventions.

20% of Year 9 students in the toptwo bands in NAPLAN Numeracy.

having undertaken Mathematics Advanced in 2017.The 2018 Year 11 cohort has increased in size by267%. This is extremely important for the studentsas new Mathematics prerequisite requirements foruniversity entrance have been put in place.

The Numeracy program implemented for selectedYear 7 students in Home Group has also seenparticipants increase their rank within their cohortby an average of 38 positions from Term 1 to Term3. This has been a remedial course to improvestudent recall and application of basic mathematicalprocesses. The Numeracy Program implemented inYears 8, 9 and 10 has also seen participantsaccessing extension content of much higher yearlevels, increasing confidence and their ability toaccess high level Mathematics and Sciencecourses in Years 11 and 12.

10.6% of Year 9 students achieved in the top twobands in NAPLAN Numeracy. Further developmentis required for upper band achievement.

40% of students achieve at orabove higher state average inHSC.

From a small cohort of 96 students, 105 Band 5 and20 Band 6 results were achieved with six studentsachieving higher than 90 on their ATAR.

37.5% students out of 96 received at least oneBand 5 or 6 at the HSC in 2018. However therewere multiple students who achieved these levelsacross all or most of their subjects.

In the 2018 HSC students achieved at or aboveState averages in all subjects. Many subjects hadstudents achieve well above state average (54% –Ancient History; 60% Engineering Studies; LegalStudies; 61% Biology; Chemistry; EnglishAdvanced; 62% Business Studies; MathematicsExtension 1; 65% Personal Development &Physical Education; 66% Drama; 70% ModernHistory; 74% Mathematics General 2; 75% HistoryExtension; Physics; 76% Modern History; 85%Mathematics; and 88% Industrial Technology)

Of special note 100% of students who studiedEnglish Extension 1, Information Processes andTechnology and Textiles and Design achievedabove state average.

Next Steps

As the school is committed to promoting Lifelong Learners who are literate, numerate and who engage with 21st Centurylearning, the school will continue to develop Future Focus Learning and expand our AAC. The school plans to purchasean additional 150 laptops to supplement our BYOD Strategy and Digital Learning.

A future strategic plan is to employ through Resource Allocation Model (RAM), which is school allocated funding, a HeadTeacher School Business with a view to improve student attendance and engagement and building positive relationshipswith the community, strengthen student compliance in school rules and expectations and supporting the Executive Teamin other administrative duties.

Continue to consolidate and grow the outstanding participation in the AAC, exceptional HSC results and the Literacy andNumeracy programs.



Teachers as World Class Leaders in Learning

Purpose

Teachers need to know their craft, be inspirational and utilise a multitude of methods of delivery, including the most up todate technology. Teachers are to model and demonstrate lifelong learning and work together with students, parents,caregivers and our community to create environments for quality learning that flourishes in our school and community.

Teachers need to demonstrate and encourage leadership development that will prepare our youth and our staff for adifferent future.


2018 marked the implementation of Professional Learning Teams (PLTs) at Woolgoolga High School and two sets ofinstructional, observational rounds were conducted; one in each semester. This program saw the involvement ofteaching staff in a structured process promoting engagement with self–reflection on teaching practice. This cross facultyprocess prompted greater communication and understanding of our common aims: to enhance student outcomesthrough a range of focus areas such as student engagement, literacy and numeracy, application of G–Suite in theclassroom and behavioural strategies.

In addition to the internal Professional Learning (PL) offered through these PLTs, staff undertook numerous professionaldevelopment opportunities including annual state conferences, new curriculum advice and planning sessions and subjectspecific targeted PL.

Six staff members completed their Proficient Accreditation, three temporary and three permanent staff members. Thismade all 2018 staff in the school, permanent or contracted, accredited as proficient.





Professional Development of allstaff is focused on the needs ofour 21st century learners and anincreasing number of staff aimingfor accreditation at higher levels.

$117, 000

Made up of $77,002Professional Learningallocation and top up fromSocio–EconomicBackground $30,000

Staff members undertook numerous professionaldevelopment opportunities, which included AnnualConferences, new syllabus developmentworkshops, professional learning teams (PLTs),VET requirement updates and InstructionalStrategies.

100% of staff belonging to crossfaculty effective ProfessionalLearning Teams.

All staff attended Collegial Network Groups relevantto their faculties.

Performance Development Plansdeveloped with direct links to theAustralian ProfessionalStandards for Teaching.

All staff have a Professional Learning Plan alignedwith their Professional Development Plan and theAustralian Professional Standards for Teaching.

Six staff members completed their ProficientAccreditation. This made all 2018 staff in theschool, permanent or contracted, accredited asproficient.

Next Steps

For 2019, two Instructional Leaders will be appointed as joint Head Teachers of Teaching and Learning. This rolefacilitates our instructional leadership teams, fosters collaborative learning and allows for the refinement andintensification and the PLT process in the school. The role will further support all teachers in the accreditation process,the development of the Teacher Talk strategies in the school, a greater overview of the annual whole school professionallearning plan and individual mandatory training requirements. This further promotes a culture among staff of highexpectations and excellence in all aspects of professional learning and teaching.



Positive Relationships

Purpose

Develop positive relationships that enhance resilience and adaptability.

Schools, communities and classrooms are built on positive relationships and great learning can only be achieved whenour students feel good about themselves. In a complex large high school it is important for students, staff and in factparents and caregivers, to continually build resilience and positive relationships.

In our ever changing world adaptability is an essential ingredient for success.


To enhance students' resilience and adaptability by developing positive relationships within the school and the widercommunity.

Successful and thriving communities are built on positive relationships, and schools and classrooms are no exception.Great learning only occurs when students feel safe and supported. Woolgoolga High School is a large and complexinstitution, so it is important for all stakeholders (students, staff, parents and caregivers) to have the opportunity toenhance wellbeing by building resilience.

The wellbeing of all students at Woolgoolga High School is a firm focus for all staff and there are many proactivepractices in place to support the diverse needs of our students. The Wellbeing team, consisting of the six Year Advisers,a Student Support Officer, School Counsellor, Head Teacher Wellbeing and a Girls' Supervisor, meet each fortnight todiscuss and plan for whole school, group and individual wellbeing issues.

Two highly effective wellbeing programs now firmly established at the school are:

1. The S.M.I.L.E. Program (student initiated and student led since 2012) is a 'big brother/big sister' peer mentoringprogram that continues to be a highly effective wellbeing service for many students in need of support and guidance.Forty two student mentors trained for the program and 68% have shown improved attendance since joining the programand there has been a related reduction in N–Award warnings for this senior cohort. The two day training for mentors wasundertaken by 38% of Year 11 students.

2. The Woopi Project (Noel's room) now in its fifth year, is an alternative learning setting for disconnected or unsettledstudents. Quality educational outcomes are being achieved for these students through an effective partnership betweenSouthern Cross School of Distance Education and Woolgoolga High School.

Both the S.M.I.L.E. Program and the Woopi Project have been successfully replicated in a number of other schoolsthroughout the state.





Improved resilience of studentsand reduced negative incidentson SENTRAL,

$91,000 Student SupportOfficer

1.8 learning and supportOfficers (LAST) $187,403

4.2 SLSOs $232,758

As part of the school's three year plan to reducestudent negative incident reports on SENTRAL,staff have improved monitoring processes. Thisallows Year Advisers and the Wellbeing Team toproactively intervene and customise a behaviouralmodification plan.

With the formation of a second Multi Categoricalclass and the employment of a specialised teacher,significant reduction in negative incident reportsoccurred due to improved resilience and bettercatering to student learning needs.

A key focus on resilience building was promoted in2018 with participation in a National Day Against






Improved resilience of studentsand reduced negative incidentson SENTRAL,

Bullying, a Crazy Sock Day and a Kindness Day.These special days encourage students to betolerant of differences and to embrace theirindividuality.

Identified students across Years 7 to 10 participatedin a Wellbeing program called Rock and Water.

It is anticipated that all of the above initiatives willhave a positive impact on student resilience.

100% of students in the MC andDistance Education classessuccessfully participating ineducational pathways.

$61,252

1 SLSO for DistanceEducation Room

Since 2014 the Woopi Project (or Noel's Room) hascatered for some of our most at risk students whoare unable to cope with mainstream classes. Thisincludes students with mental health disorders suchas anxiety or depression, students with a history ofchallenging behaviours and students in Out ofHome Care.

In 2018, 21 students were enrolled in this projectfrom Year 7 to Year 12.

This project delivers educational outcomes tostudents way beyond their expectations and oftenbeyond the expectations of parent and carers. Onestudent graduated with a HSC in 2018.

This supportive environment contributes to theoverall wellbeing of the whole school as studentswith complex needs can be catered for within theresources of the school on a daily basis.

These students are enjoying success with theirlearning, many for the first time ever, due to thecalm and supportive environment. In 2018, ninestudents have successfully transitioned back tosome or all mainstream classes, having acquiredthe skills to manage themselves and become moreindependent in their learning.

A second Multi Categorical class was establishedfor students with challenging behaviours. Asignificant reduction of negative incidents reports onSENTRAL was evidenced with students in thisclass with one student reducing by 64%.

Next Steps

In 2018 Woolgoolga High School added a second Multi Categorical class which catered for students who could notsuccessfully complete their education in a mainstream setting. Due to the success of these two classes in 2018 sixteenstudents attended school and completed their education. A third Multi Categorical class is planned for 2019 which willinclude the engagement of another specialist teacher.

A future strategic plan is to employ through RAM a Head Teacher Special Education with a view to supporting the thirdclass and having a vision to make this class part of the staffing entitlement for 2020, which will attract a permanent HeadTeacher to the position.

Several targeted initiatives for the wellbeing of boys are scheduled for 2019 including a toolkit designed to empowerstudents to self–manage their health and wellbeing, Man Up and a Be You Program. These initiatives build self–esteemand assist students in self–regulation of their personal wellbeing.


Key Initiatives Resources (annual) Impact achieved this year

Aboriginal background loading $98,438

Two Aboriginal support staff

$2,000 AIME

1 Aboriginal teacher

$2,000 student support,excursions and leadershipprogram.

In Year 7, 14 Aboriginal students completedNAPLAN with 7% receiving results in the toptwo bands for Numeracy and 14% in thereading test. The results of Year 9 fornumeracy and reading substantiate the needfor the Numeracy and Literacy Initiatives todevelop this cohort of students.

In 2018 our Aboriginal staff have supportedover 112 Aboriginal students in Years 7 to 12in many different ways. More details arelisted later in this annual school report.

Of note: Aboriginal language is an importantpart of our school culture, with all Year 7students studying Gumbaynggirr. For thesecond year students have sat the HSCsubject Aboriginal Languages. One studentachieved at this level in 2018.

English language proficiency $83,200 for .8 EALDteacher + .2 RAM

$2,000 Student Supportand Open High School ESLEnglish program.

Individual reports on progress of all ESLstudents.

The ELP allocation in 2018 allowed thesupport of students from EALD backgroundsto move towards English language proficiencyin speaking, listening, reading, viewing andwriting. They were supported through directinstruction as well as teacher liaison withmainstream teachers for delivery ofdifferentiated curriculum for EALD students.

The continued use of video conferencingunits, supply of booklets and course materialhas allowed these students to study an onlineHSC English course that is appropriate fortheir developing level of English Languageproficiency. Four EALD students wereawarded their Higher School Certificate.

Low level adjustment for disability 1.8 learning and supportteachers were employedand 2 SLSO's wereemployed $292,527.

72% of targeted students in Year 7 haddemonstrated improvements in academicperformance or attendance or a reducedevidence of disengaged behaviour.

Similarly 67.4% of Year 8 and 74% of Year 9targeted students showed similar change.

Socio–economic background 1 Mathematics teacher forthe Maths /Numeracystrategy ($104,000)

1 Technology SupportOfficer ($81,627)

1 Student Support Officer($67,505)

Professional learning top up($30,000)

Leadership initiatives($5,000)

Music strategy

The Academic Achievement Centre has beenone of the most successful initiatives everintroduced at Woolgoolga High School. Withover 80 students and 15 volunteer staffproviding specialised knowledge from all KeyLearning Areas regularly attending, thisinitiative has grown to be an important part ofthe school learning culture of the school. AllHSC students who received 90 or above intheir ATAR attended the AcademicAchievement Centre regularly in 2018, as didmost of the students who achieved Band 5 or6 results. As well as attending the AAC,students also accessed quality support fromteachers across all faculty areas outside ofnormal school and AAC hours, particularly inIndustrial Technology, Visual Arts, Textiles


Socio–economic background (instruments) ($5,000)

Academic AchievementCentre (30,000)

SLSO for DistanceEducation Room (Noel'sRoom) ($61,252)

Laptops, projectors,hardware ($45581)

and other subjects requiring support forstudents completing Major Works for theirHSC.

83% of volunteer staff surveyed haveattended the Academic Achievement Centreseven or more times with an emphasis ontheir desire to create rapport with students, tohelp their own students but also to help thegreater student body. 81% of studentssurveyed have attended seven or more times.73% of students surveyed stated that theyattend to get work done as their mainobjective and 55% of valued the peer supportat the Academic Achievement Centre.Students also responded that 75% ofParent/Carers think that the AAC is a goodidea and that they are encouraged by theirfamilies to attend.

The Numeracy project results have beenoutlined elsewhere in this report.

Ten targeted girls in Years 9 and 10successfully completed one session per weekof the Rock and Water Program during Terms2 & 3. All Year 7 students completed fourlessons of this program in Term 1. TargetedYear 7 and 8 boys completed two sessionsper week throughout Term 3 with 12 boyseach in of the two classes.

A Girls' Empowerment Program called'Chicktionary' was introduced in Term 3 and 4of 2018. This program was designed to targetbetter support for girls enabling them tosucceed at school and within society and tofoster resilience and build self–worth. Thiswas achieved by actively encouraging andworking with the girls to set goals to bepositive and to become contributing membersof our community. This initiative was targetedto students at risk who were identified by theWellbeing Team. Of the 13 students whowere invited eight students successfullycompleted this program. Students who optedto participate showed an increased level ofattendance compared with those who optednot to be involved where their attendancedeclined. Furthermore, occurrences ofnegative incident behaviour increaseddramatically of those students opting not toparticipate. This program will be furtherdeveloped in 2019 to incorporate anopportunity for male students to access thisvaluable program. It will run during HomeGroup time for a daily student check in.

Wellbeing, and MC class evaluations aredetailed in other parts of this report.

The Student Support Officer has had apositive impact on 100s of students whorequire support.

Specialised musical instruments werepurchased in 2018 as part of a plannedInitiative in Music for 2019 to improve skills


Socio–economic background 1 Mathematics teacher forthe Maths /Numeracystrategy ($104,000)

1 Technology SupportOfficer ($81,627)

1 Student Support Officer($67,505)

Professional learning top up($30,000)

Leadership initiatives($5,000)

Music strategy(instruments) ($5,000)

Academic AchievementCentre (30,000)

SLSO for DistanceEducation Room (Noel'sRoom) ($61,252)

Laptops, projectors,hardware ($45581)

and the status of Music in the school.

These programs have all added to thelearning and wellbeing of many students.

Support for beginning teachers $20,729 A reduction in face to face teaching andsupport for professional learning. In particularthe Teacher Talk program has helpedbeginning teachers, both permanent andtemporary, to gain a solid start to their career.

100% of teachers requiring accreditation,achieved accreditation in 2018. There wereno teachers who achieved accreditation athigher levels but there are at least two staffseeking and working towards this in the nextfew years.


Student information

Student enrolment profile

Enrolments

Students 2015 2016 2017 2018

Boys 448 435 422 411

Girls 402 403 404 427

Student attendance profile

School

Year 2015 2016 2017 2018

7 90.9 92 92.3 88.2

8 88.4 90.3 89.3 89.2

9 87 86.5 88.1 84.1

10 84.1 87.9 83.1 84.9

11 87.7 86.8 85.6 82.1

12 85.8 84.9 85.4 83.9

All Years 87.5 88.4 87.6 85.7

State DoE

Year 2015 2016 2017 2018

7 92.7 92.8 92.7 91.8

8 90.6 90.5 90.5 89.3

9 89.3 89.1 89.1 87.7

10 87.7 87.6 87.3 86.1

11 88.2 88.2 88.2 86.6

12 89.9 90.1 90.1 89

All Years 89.7 89.7 89.6 88.4

Management of non-attendance

Roll marking takes place each morning and during eachlesson. If students are absent without explanation, atext message is sent mid morning to parents. Studentswho have persistent non–attendance may be referredto the Home School Liaison Officer for further support.

Post-school destinations

Proportion ofstudents movinginto post-schooleducation, trainingor employment

Year 10%

Year 11%

Year 12%

SeekingEmployment

0 1 3

Employment 3 22 28

TAFE entry 3 6 9

University Entry 0 0 42

Other 1 0 1

Unknown 1 1 33

In 2018, 96 students completed Year 12 and graduatedwith their Higher School Certificate.

Year 12 students undertaking vocational or tradetraining

Twenty one students successfully completed avocational course as part of their Higher SchoolCertificate (nine in Hospitality; eight in Construction andfour in Metals and Engineering) within school. Fourstudents gained similar qualifications delivered byTAFE.

Year 12 students attaining HSC or equivalentvocational education qualification

One hundred students completed their HSC orequivalent vocational qualification in 2018 compared to86 in 2017.

Workforce information

Workforce composition

Position FTE*

Principal(s) 1

Deputy Principal(s) 2

Head Teacher(s) 9

Classroom Teacher(s) 44.5

Learning and Support Teacher(s) 1.8

Teacher Librarian 1

School Counsellor 1

School Administration and SupportStaff

13.48

Other Positions 1


*Full Time Equivalent

In 2018, Woolgoolga High School employed fourAboriginal staff members.

Teacher qualifications

All teaching staff meet the professional requirementsfor teaching in NSW public schools.

Teacher qualifications

Qualifications % of staff

Undergraduate degree or diploma 97

Postgraduate degree 3

Professional learning and teacher accreditation

Professional learning has been covered within theStrategic Direction 2.

Financial information

Financial summary

The information provided in the financial summaryincludes reporting from 1 January 2018 to 31December 2018.

2018 Actual ($)

Opening Balance 772,195

Revenue 10,455,550

Appropriation 10,166,944

Sale of Goods and Services 26,590

Grants and Contributions 231,365

Gain and Loss 0

Other Revenue 24,729

Investment Income 5,922

Expenses -9,825,533

Recurrent Expenses -9,825,533

Employee Related -9,086,579

Operating Expenses -738,954

Capital Expenses 0

Employee Related 0

Operating Expenses 0

SURPLUS / DEFICIT FOR THEYEAR

630,017

Balance Carried Forward 1,402,212

Woolgoolga High School has an established FinanceCommittee with representatives from all levels of staffand the P&C President. Applications for funds aremade at the end of each year for the following year. Allfaculties and programs need to apply for funding. Theapplications are made to and approved by the FinanceCommittee. The budget is presented to the ParentGroup at the first available meeting. These processesare in accordance with finance guidelines.

The balance carried forward of $1,402,212 included:

1. Unpaid salaries and commitments carried into thenext financial year.

2. Money held by Woolgoolga High School on behalf ofMid North Coast Sport, North Coast Regional Dance.

3. The following major initiatives were commenced in2018 and are being carried through into 2019.

(a) Establishment of a third MC class that is schoolfunded for 2019 and a resulting upgrade of the staffcommon room to enable the cleaning staff and SASSlunch room to be converted into a classroom as theschool is short on classrooms.

(b) 150 laptops for classroom use, and five laptopcharging stations;

(c) Three new Head Teacher temporary positions(Head Teacher Teaching and Learning, Head TeacherSpecial Education and Head Teacher School Business)for the 2019 school year.

(d) Continuation of the TSO position and StudentSupport Officer positions for 2019.

Financial summary equity funding

The equity funding data is the main component of the'Appropriation' section of the financial summary above.


2018 Actual ($)

Base Total 7,715,731

Base Per Capita 160,516

Base Location 10,495

Other Base 7,544,720

Equity Total 836,094

Equity Aboriginal 98,438

Equity Socio economic 389,639

Equity Language 55,490

Equity Disability 292,527

Targeted Total 675,631

Other Total 185,224

Grand Total 9,412,680

Figures presented in this report may be subject torounding so may not reconcile exactly with the bottomline totals, which are calculated without any rounding.

A full copy of the school's financial statement is tabledat the annual general meetings of the parent and/orcommunity groups. Further details concerning thestatement can be obtained by contacting the school.

School performance

NAPLAN

In the National Assessment Program, the results acrossthe Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 literacy and numeracyassessments are reported on a scale from Band 1 toBand 10. The achievement scale represents increasinglevels of skills and understandings demonstrated inthese assessments.

From 2018 to 2020 NAPLAN is moving from a papertest to an online test. Individual schools are migrating tothe online test, with some schools attempting NAPLANon paper and others online.

Results for both online and paper formats are reportedon the same NAPLAN assessment scale. Anycomparison of NAPLAN results – such as comparisonsto previous NAPLAN results or to results for studentswho did the assessment in a different format – shouldtake into consideration the different test formats andare discouraged during these transition years.

Years 7 and 9 Grammar and Punctuation results showthe school performing above state averages in themiddle to higher bands.

Our Peer Reading Program implemented for junioryears continues to strengthen student growth inreading. Year 9 NAPLAN reading results show stronggrowth in lower and middle bands.


A Peer Mathematics Program was introduced tin 2018to build and develop mathematical capacity in studentsin a similar way to the Peer Reading Program. The aimof this project is to move our middle and higherachieving students to higher band levels.

Percentage in Bands:Year 7 - Numeracy

Band 4 5 6 7 8 9

Percentage of students 2.1 19.3 33.1 28.3 12.4 4.8

School avg 2016-2018 4.6 16.2 30.8 29.7 12.3 6.4

Percentage in Bands:Year 9 - Numeracy

Band 5 6 7 8 9 10

Percentage of students 2.7 23.9 42.5 20.4 7.1 3.5

School avg 2016-2018 1.7 23.1 38.6 25.8 8.6 2.2

The My School website provides detailed informationand data for national literacy and numeracy testing. Goto http://www.myschool.edu.au to access the schooldata.

The State's and Premier's Priorities for improvingeducational outcomes for Aboriginal students areevidenced in the 2018 NAPLAN data. In Year 7, 14Aboriginal students completed NAPLAN with 7%receiving results in the top two bands for Numeracy and14% in the Reading test. The results of Year 9 forNumeracy and Reading substantiate the continuedfocus and need for Numeracy and Literacy Initiatives.

Higher School Certificate (HSC)

The performance of students in the HSC is reported inbands ranging from Band 1 (lowest) to Band 6(highest).

Our Higher School Certificate results in 2018 wereoutstanding. From a small cohort of 96 students weachieved 105 Band 5 results, 20 Band 6 results.Additionally, three E4 (the highest band level in anextension course) results were awarded in EnglishExtension 1 (two students achieved 48/50 and onestudent 47/50), the equivalent to Band 6. These Band 6results placed our students on the NESA DistinguishedAchievers List. Furthermore, there were six studentswith ATAR scores higher than 90.

Subject School2018 SSSG State

SchoolAverage

2014-2018

Ancient History 69.5 66.9 69.5 71.1

Biology 71.5 68.2 70.7 67.2

BusinessStudies

68.9 66.1 69.3 69.3

Chemistry 69.1 63.8 71.8 65.0


Community andFamily Studies

67.1 69.6 69.9 68.7

EngineeringStudies

71.0 64.9 75.3 71.0

English(Advanced)

79.6 74.1 77.5 75.9

English(Standard)

65.9 64.4 65.0 66.3

IndustrialTechnology

69.3 65.5 66.2 72.6

Legal Studies 68.1 66.6 71.2 68.2

Mathematics 79.9 66.8 74.8 79.8

MathematicsGeneral 2

68.6 63.6 65.1 65.6

Modern History 78.3 65.1 69.5 72.1

PersonalDevelopment,Health andPhysicalEducation

73.0 69.0 69.5 73.0

Visual Arts 79.7 74.8 78.0 77.1

Achievement in English Extension 1 was noteworthy,with all 3 students earning E4 results with marks of 47,48 and 48 out of 50 marks (This is equivalent to Band 6results in an extension course). Over 63% of studentsgained a Band 5 or 6 result in Advanced English (thisnumber represents over 63% of candidates). The IPTcourse attained similar results with the entire classgaining Band 5 results. Consequently, the IPT markswere 10.72% above the state average.

Band 6 results were achieved in twelve subjects:Ancient History, Community and Family Studies,Dance, Engineering Studies, Advanced English,English Extension 1, Industrial Technology,Mathematics General, Mathematics, Modern History,Personal Development Health and Physical education(PDHPE) and Visual Arts. Two students, Rhianna Birchand Delilah Thorncraft were asked to submit copies oftheir Dance performances to be considered forexhibition at 'Callback' which showcased the bestroutines from the HSC Dance course.

Parent/caregiver, student, teachersatisfaction

The Tell Them From Me Survey was completed by 63%of students. In the areas listed below the school resultsare above those for the state. Students at WoolgoolgaHigh School indicated that important concepts aretaught well, class time is used efficiently and homeworkand evaluations support class objectives. Students feelteachers are responsive to their needs and encourageindependence with a democratic approach. Theyunderstand there are clear rules and expectations forclassroom behaviour and they have someone at home

or in the community who consistently providesencouragement and can be turned to for advice.Academic outcomes in English, Mathematics andScience were all well above state averages.

Teachers always demonstrate their professionalcommitment to the school. A high number of staffvolunteer their time outside of school time for extracurricular activities, including sporting events andexcursions. A large number of students are supportedin their learning outside of school hours. The AcademicAchievement Centre as outlined throughout thisdocument is one clear example of the professionalismof staff and the positive relationships that are built dailywithin our school community.

The majority of students at Woolgoolga High Schoolare growth orientated and aim to do their best with 68%of students strongly agreeing that they do theirschoolwork and try to improve.

Woolgoolga High School has a supportive P&C whichmeets every second Tuesday of the month. P&Crepresentatives help make important decisions relatingto the employment of staff via selection panels. TheP&C also runs our school canteen. Parents are alwayswelcome in our school and there is an open door policyfor access to the Senior Executive.

P&C Association Message

Another year has come to a close and what a busy yearit has been. Our wonderful canteen manager Lynne leftus in the 2nd term and we welcomed Anne our newmanager who will start in 2019.

Although there is only a few of us that sit around theP&C table I have to say our P&C is filled with greatparents that are not only truly interested in their child'seducation but all the other children's education as welland are happy to go above and beyond when it comesto supporting the P&C and the school.

This year we again supported our past DUX, ourSchool Leaders and the Public Speaking Awards at ourMajor Assemblies.

We believe that all Parents, Carers and Teachers pridethemselves on seeing the children coming to schoolevery day looking very smart in their uniform. It alsogives us great pride to hear positive comments from thecommunity when any of our students attend outsideactivities looking their best. The P&C strives to makesure the uniforms are proud to be worn by the students.

Our Canteen as a whole is overseen by the P&C anddecisions such as menu's, prices, fundraising etc aretaken on board by the P&C as a group. The canteen isrun like a small business, and like all businesses wehave bills to pay and just because we are a schoolcanteen and provide a service to children doesn't meanwe receive discounts or children's prices on products.The canteen ended on a high note at the end of theyear financially and thanks must go to the CanteenTeam and all who supported them.

Next year will see some changes as a new Healthy


Canteen Directive will be introduced at the end of theyear but we have and always will I believe have ahealthy, nutritious and fresh canteen to service all ourWoolgoolga Student's tastes.

As always we encourage all Parents and Carers to tryto volunteer in some aspects of the schoolenvironment. Not only does volunteering providecomradeship for ourselves it also provides enjoymentfor our children seeing us help within the schoolcommunity.

If you would like to be an important voice as to whatgoes on in and around the school come and join theP&C Team or let any concerns be known to one of itsmembers. You can always drop a note into the schoolor canteen. Our meetings are held every 2nd Tuesdayof the Month and only total about 8 in a calendar year,and everybody is welcome.

Remember 'A little help goes a long way'.

Regards Diane Della, P&C President (on behalf of the)

Woolgoolga High School P&C Association

Policy requirements

Aboriginal education

Gumbaynggirr Language – This year theGumbaynggirr Language program finished on a positivepoint with a second Year 12 student successfullyachieving his HSC in Aboriginal LanguagesGumbaynggirr. Our Language program continues to runsmoothly with Mr Larry Hancock and the appointmentof Ms Joanne Hine teaching the classes. Some of thehighlights of the years were our Language choirperforming at numerous community events andfestivals.

In 2018 more than 160 Year 7 students completed 100hours of Gumbaynggirr language.

AIME Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience– AIME is a program that clearly empowers, motivatesand inspires our students to have self–belief and instilsaspirations for a positive future. AIME also strengthensthe student's sense of identity and connection tocountry and enables them to take on life's opportunitieswith a positive cultural mindset. AIME provides a forumfor students to develop skills in public speaking,communication, literacy, social engagement andempathy, building a strong platform to continue theireducational journey with confidence and commitment tolift themselves out of inequality.

One student received an Outstanding LeadershipAward and has been short listed to travel to Americawith the AIME team to deliver and assist and trainfuture mentors.

Nara Gili UNSW Winter School – One studentselected in 2018 to attend Nara Gili Winter School atthe University of NSW. The winter school program isdesigned for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanderstudents who are currently in Years 10, 11 and 12. Itwas a weeklong residential program where participantswere introduced to tertiary studies in the disciplineareas of their interests.

Spirit of the Girls Camp – Ten students were selectedto attend the inaugural camp where they were exposedto traditional women's customs and business from localElder Aunty Bea Ballangarry.

NAIDOC – Woolgoolga High School celebratedNAIDOC this year with an assembly that focused on theimportance of women's roles within culture andcommunity. The theme for this year is 'Because of her,we can". Our formal assembly commenced with aWelcome to Country from respected Elder UncleMichael Jarrett. Senior Aboriginal student leadersdisplayed immense leadership skills by running theassembly with grace and dignity beyond their years. Anoutstanding student didgeridoo performance wasaccompanied by Uncle Michael on vocals, sharingsome traditional songs with us in Gumbaynggirrlanguage. We were treated to a slideshow representingstrong Aboriginal women through time.

Healthy Me, Healthy Mob Aboriginal CommunityDay – Local Aboriginal elders, community members,


organisations and parents were invited into our schoolfor the official opening and dedication of our YarningCircle and Bush Tucker Garden to Aunty Marg Lardner.A memorial plaque for Aunty Marg was also unveiledwhich will be housed in the school's front office.Students, teachers and parents helped to rejuvenateand make over our bush tucker garden, with lots of newplants and painting of murals on all of our seatingareas. Also unveiled was the new Yarning and BushTucker signage which is graced with the award winningartwork of two of our students. Ready Mob kindlydonated the signage, plaque and the employment oflocal Gumbaynggirr artist Alison Williams as well asproviding anti tobacco education, complete withactivities and prizes. During the day we had a sit downand consultation between parents, elders andcommunity members with staff and the principal todiscuss future goals and focuses in AboriginalEducation. The students also performed for the visitors,with our Aboriginal choir singing local Gumabynggirrsongs. Students danced a traditional dance aboutgathering and sharing of food accompanied by ourAboriginal boy's didgeridoo group.

Multicultural and anti-racism education

Woolgoolga High School has a population of 11.5%LBOTE students. Of these, 25 students are receivingEALD support through the EALS Support Program and25 are receiving indirect support through informalmonitoring and support when needed.

EALD students represented the school in school, zoneand state athletics as well as cross country. They weremembers of the school leadership team throughinvolvement in SRC, Prefects and S.M.I.L.E. mentoring.The growing involvement of students from a refugeebackground in the life of the school has enhanced theoutcomes for these students both socially andacademically. To promote cultural inclusion andunderstanding and social cohesion within the school,LBOTE students have led whole school assemblies andhave been an integral part of organising committees forwhole school events such as Harmony Day, RefugeeWeek activities, NAIDOC Week, and have representedthe school at interschool and community events.

The SRC delivered a whole school presentation aboutanti racism and this is also an important part of many ofour curriculum areas. Our school continues to deliverquality education on racism and any issues that ariseare quickly dealt with via an intensive individualeducation program.


2018 Woolgoolga High School Annual Report · 2019-05-04 · Introduction The Annual Report for 2018...

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